The winter break came and none of the Gryffindors had told on Harry. He could go into the common room now, when Fred and George weren't there, and even the girl's staircase allowed him up.
The Weasleys were staying over the winter, and some of the other Gryffindors as well. Oliver Wood – who Harry rather liked after he had protected him from McGonagall – was one of them. Then there were three second years, Johanna and Michael Cole and Jack Alan, Harry didn't know them very well. Angelina was going home over the holidays, but another girl from her dorm, Alicia Spinnet, was staying. There was no one other than Oliver and Percy from third year, and none from fourth. But eleven people stayed from fifth and seventh year, because – as Harry was told – they had exams they needed to learn for. And a girl named Anita Jeneff stayed from Charlie's year.
Harry liked that the common room would be emptier than usual. All the people were nice to him, he simply couldn't help but feel that he didn't deserve it and they somehow thought they had to be nice to him, because he was famous or something maybe.
Fred and George came up to the dorm on the last day of school, and Fred let himself fall onto the bed. Now that Harry thought about it, there were only three beds in the dorm and he was occupying one of them, where did the other three sleep? He began fidgeting with the hem of his sweater. Fred and George had let him keep the clothes that he had shrunken, and he wore them as much as possible, so he wouldn't have to ask for their clothes so often. Though Bill had brought him some more clothes his size – Harry had no idea where he had gotten them – so clothes weren't much of a problem anymore, but he had sort of become attached to those first garments he had been given.
"Free at last," Fred sighed.
"What do you want to do, Harry?" George asked. "We've got all the time in the world now."
Harry didn't respond, although his gaze shifted longingly to the window. He hadn't been able to go outside even once all the Gryffidors knew about him. But he looked back down quickly, he didn't want Fred and George to think he was ungrateful.
"Speak for yourselves," Lee groaned. "I'm going home tomorrow and I still haven't packed."
"Never put off until tomorrow, what can be done today," George scolded playfully.
"Wanna come down to the common room and leave Lee to his packing?" Fred asked.
Harry nodded and was picked up by Fred and carried down the stairs. He looked a lot healthier than when the twins had first found him, but you still wouldn't think that he was nine years old.
"Hey, Harry," Angelina greeted when they reached the common room.
"Hi," Harry mumbled.
"Oh, I've got an idea," Fred said suddenly.
"What are you two up to now?" Angelina asked, raising an eyebrow.
Fred grinned and pulled out his wand. "How would you like to do some magic?"
Harry's eyes widened. "Can I?"
"Go on," Fred encouraged, handing him his wand. "We'll try a simple spell, 'wingardium leviosa' I showed it to you once, remember?"
Harry nodded eagerly.
"Hey, Angelina," George asked. "Have you got something light he can levitate?"
Angelina rolled her eyes, but handed him a spare bit of parchment.
"Alright, Harry, I'll show you the motion and then you try," said George and waved his wand.
Harry watched him closely, and then repeated the movement, and said the incantation. The parchment ruffled a bit, but otherwise nothing happened.
"It's okay, Harry," Fred said. "Mostly no one gets it at the first try."
Harry nodded slightly and tried again. He failed again. And a third and a fourth time. Nothing seemed to happen.
"Maybe I'm not magic enough," Harry said quietly.
"Nah, with accidental magic as strong as yours, there's no way you don't have enough magic," George said.
"Then why doesn't it work?" Harry asked, his voice cracking a bit. "If I can't do magic, I'll never go here, and if I can't go to Hogwarts I'll have to go back," Harry whispered.
"No you won't," said someone sternly. Bill was standing at the staircase to the dorms. "A wand is always meant for a certain wizard, Harry. The wand chooses the wizard and allows them to use it, and you will never get the same results with another wizard's wand. It's likely that, because this is your first time, you would only be able to do the magic with your own wand."
"Are you sure?" Harry asked.
"Yes I am," Bill said. "George is right, your accidental magic is so strong, there is no way you will not go to Hogwarts."
"Okay."
"You know, there is such a thing as wandless magic," Fred said.
"Fred, don't go doing experiments with him," Bill scolded.
"But–"
"No!"
"Wandless magic?" Harry asked curiously.
"Yeah, some powerful wizards can do it, like Dumbledore," George said.
"I think you just try to focus the magic around you or something," Fred explained.
"But it's unlikely to work, Harry. If you ever try it, keep in mind that even most adult wizards can't do it," Bill said.
But Harry was staring at the parchment. It ruffled a bit, and Harry stared down at his hands, then back. He whispered quietly "Wingardium leviosa," and the parchment began to rise. The three boys stared and Angelina looked up, as well as a few others in the common room that turned to watch in amazement.
Then the parchment sailed back down, and Harry blinked in confusion.
"I wish I could do that," Fred said.
"How do you know it wasn't accidental again?" Harry asked.
"You can always try to do it again," George suggested.
Not even Bill interjected as Harry tried again. This time floating the parchment back to Angelina. "Thank you," Harry whispered to no one in particular.
~•~
When Harry woke up on christmas morning, Fred and George were scurrying through the room in search of something. Harry quickly pulled on his shrunken clothes and looked at them expectantly.
"Maybe they're downstairs," George said.
"Right," Fred said. "Oh, Harry, you're awake."
"The presents are downstairs, we think," George said.
"Presents?" Harry asked. He had heard the term once or twice before, but he didn't really know what it meant.
"Yeah, didn't you ever have any?" George asked and Harry shook his head.
"Well, now you do," Fred said.
"I don't think so," Harry said as Fred lifted him up. He now remembered that presents were always something Dudley got, sometime in the summer and then in the winter.
"Sure you get presents, you'll see."
Harry only hid his face in Fred's shoulder as he was carried downstairs.
"Hey, Harry," Alicia greeted from the ground next to a huge green tree with a bunch of colourful boxes beneath it.
"Have you found anything for Harry yet?" Fred asked.
"Yep," she answered, waving a green box at them.
Fred sat down with Harry on his lap and Alicia handed the box to Harry.
"See, you get presents," Fred said.
Harry eyed the box in awe. It felt like paper, and it was green with silver snowflakes on it.
"What do I do with it?" Harry asked.
"You open it," George said, but Harry still didn't understand so Fred turned the box to the side and showed him a spot where the paper was taped.
"The green paper is only wrapped around something else," he explained. "You have to get rid of the paper to find out what it is."
Harry gently pried of the paper to reveal a box of something that looked like black frogs.
"It's chocolate frogs," George explained. "But you have to be quick to eat them when you open the wrapping or they'll hop away."
"Eat them?" Harry asked.
"It's not real frogs," Alicia explained. "It's just chocolate, only charmed to jump away."
As they continued opening the presents, more people filled the common room until all twenty-one Gryffindors were gathered, and Harry had opened his seventeenth and last present, a set of quills and a roll of parchment.
"Harry," Fred began. "We have one last present for you."
"We thought it would be great if you could go outside, at least for a day," said George.
"Here are a coat, boots, gloves and a scarf," Charlie said as he handed Harry said items, all in Gryffindor gold and red.
"Thank you," Harry said quietly.
"You ready to go outside again, Harry?" Fred asked and Harry nodded.
All twenty-one Gryffindors came along with Harry, keeping him in their midst so no teacher would spot him. Then they walked out onto the snow-covered grounds of Hogwarts.
Harry looked around in awe, and Fred lowered him to the ground, so he could walk through the snow.
"Over there is the forbidden forest," said Bill. "Only Hagrid goes in there, and that, is Hagrid's hut."
"Who's Hagrid?" Harry asked.
"He looks after Hogwarts' Grounds and the creatures in the forest," said Charlie. "He's great with pretty much all the creatures."
"And over there is the Whomping Willow," said Alicia. "But you shouldn't go near it. I heard it knocked this Slytherin guy all the way back to the school entrance."
"And that?" Harry asked, pointing to the distance.
"That's the Quidditch pitch," said Oliver excitedly.
"What's Quidditch?"
"You don't– Oh, come on, we'll show you," said Oliver and the group moved towards the pitch.
"Wanna try riding a broom, Harry?" George asked.
"We shouldn't, George," Percy said.
"Percy's right, he could get hurt," agreed Bill.
"Oh, come on," Charlie said. "If Harry wants to, why shouldn't he? I'm sure he'll be careful."
"So, do you want to see the brooms, Harry?" Fred asked and when Harry nodded, Oliver quickly opened the door to the school brooms.
"Which one do you want?" Oliver asked. Harry scanned the brooms and pointed to one in the corner. "A cleansweap, alright." Oliver got out the broom and laid it down on the ground.
"Step to the left side of the broom, and stretch your right hand out over it," Charlie instructed. "Then say 'Up'."
Harry did as he was told, and the broom shot into his hand.
"Well done, Harry," Charlie exclaimed. "Most people don't get this on their first try. See, Bill, he'll be fine on a broom."
"Just be careful," Bill said.
"Alright, Harry," Charlie said. "Mount the broom, so it's secured between your legs. Good, then lightly kick off from the ground."
Harry kicked off and the most amazing sensation filled him. He smiled as he leaned forward a bit and the broom flew in that direction. Harry began to grin and flew a small circle over the snow.
"Hey!" Someone called out and Harry froze, the broom stopping in mid-air.
A girl in black and yellow robes was stomping towards them.
"Tonks," Bill exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"Seeing what you are doing with that child," she said angrily. "How did he even get to Hogwarts, he's way too young to be a first year."
Fred had meanwhile walked towards Harry and lifted him off the broom, while taking the broom in his hand.
"Well, you've got to admit he's a natural at flying," George grinned.
"And before you go running off," Bill said. "Yes, this is Harry Potter, but we are most definitely not letting him go back to his 'family'. If you stay calm, we'll explain."
As Fred took Harry to stow away the broom, the others explained to Nymphadora Tonks what was going on. She agreed to keep quiet, but somehow, after the Holidays, the whole student body of Hogwarts seemed to know about Harry, or had at least heard some of the rumours that were flying around.
1998 words